I’ve really enjoyed having this interesting little reclaimed wood mantel shelf floating around the workshop for a little while. Its front face is a tapestry of character, with nail holes, knots, and a unique shape and flow. Many would have discarded it, but white oak’s natural rot resistance means that solid wood remains beneath the rot layer — it just has to be worked.

The top and bottom are not quite as interesting, but the real focus on any mantel is all about that face. (not to be confused with All About That Bass).

This mantel shelf is 2.75 inches x about 9 inches deep x 68.5in long.

This piece was originally from an old nearly rotten floor joist. We purchased the source board from an Amish gentleman who dismantled it from an old weather barn in Southwest Wisconsin. The country by his place is filled with rolling hills, where they bear witness to a simpler time, when cows grazed freely, and agriculture was a labor of love. This part of the States evokes the memories of my childhood when I saw agriculture as a harmonious balance between nature and humans. These old barns are a relic of a bygone era — not too much longer and the good ones will be gone.

It can be shipped anywhere in the lower 48 states via FedEx Gnd for $125

About the tag – The Tender Family featuring Franky and Weeny. Great little illustration just so typical of the late 40s and early 50s. The Visking Corporation was founded in 1925 to produce cellulose casings for processed meats. In the 1950s, they were acquired by Union Carbide who subsequently sold the business off in the 1980s. The company still produces casings today.